Gallium arsenide (GaAs) - definition
Gallium arsenide (GaAs) - definition
Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is a semiconducting chemical compound made up of gallium (Ga) and arsenic (As) atoms, belonging to the group of compounds III-V. It is characterised by a zinc-blende crystalline structure and a wide energy gap-blende crystalline structure and a wide direct energy gap, which makes it, making it particularly effective in optoelectronic applications. In contrast to the commonly used silicon, GaAs allows direct recombination of charge carriers, resulting in high efficiency in light emission.
This material is also distinguished by its high electron mobility, which allows the construction of very fast electronic components electronic components. As a result, gallium arsenide is used in the manufacture of high-frequency transistors, microwave amplifiers, semiconductor lasers, lEDs, as well as in high-efficiency solar cells, especially in space applications. GaAs also exhibits resistance to ionising radiation, which increases its utility value in environments with elevated radiation levels.
The fabrication of gallium arsenide devices requires advanced epitaxial technologies, such as gas-phase or molecular beam epitaxy. Although these processes are more costly than for silicon, the physical properties of GaAs compensate for these limitations in applications requiring high speed and energy efficiency. Gallium arsenide also forms the basis for more complex semiconductor materials, such as AlGaAs or InGaAs, which allows the design of structures with diverse electron and optical properties.
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